As we near mid-August, the only thing more bizarre than a fan jumping from the upper deck into the Yankee Stadium net is the fact that Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon are the Yankees' best starting pitchers. Chacon has a 1.42 ERA in three starts since coming to New York, and the Small Unit is 3-0 with a 3.32 ERA in his three starts. As absurd as it sounds, mixed leaguers should be all over these guys.

Okay. I'll say Chacon is a legit option, but Small?

Does anyone like this sleeper? Where would you value him?

Last edited by waterproof on Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

I've seen all his starts and the guy seems to have decent stuff, throw strikes, and gets out of jams but Torre is likely sending him to the bullpen since he needs to (or wants to) make room for Jaret Wright who pitches Monday (And has looked good in his rehab) @ TB. I like Small to get maybe 1 more start in a fill-in role but it's likely that Torre is making him the odd man out in the Rotation of Mussina, Johnson, Chacon, Leiter, Wright. I have absolutely no rational explanation for why Leiter gets to pitch over Small but Joe likes Small's experience coming out of the pen and he's always favored the experience with both Leiter as a starter and Small as a reliever in this instance. Maybe Small gets one more start for Johnson but that's probably it.

ive seen only 2 of his starts one on tv and one in person. this guy is a big risk because he's been able to keep the ball down down down. but if it comes up just a bit it'll be smacked out of the ball park. i wouldnt pick him up just yet.

Yeah well if you saw him pitch the last few times, you would be wondering what took this guy so long to figure it out. This is not some stiff (Leiter) that has somehow managed to get lucky and pitch a couple of good games with mediocre or crummy stuff. His stuff looks real good and his changeup has been very good.

How long can he continue to pitch like this I have no idea. I would not recommend picking him up in fantasy leagues. But watching the guy throw the ball shows this is no accident imo (knock wood). He would not be the first pitcher that figured it out later rather than sooner. As Jim Kaat noted yesterday during the YES broadcast, he has picked up a changeup/improved on that pitch and it seems to be making a world of difference. He throws it with the middle finger behind the ball and sort of flicks it. Different from the usual palm or circle-change. We shall see but I would keep an eye on the guy. At some point, if he keeps this up you have to consider it no accident and likely to continue for the rest of the year. I am not there yet, but a couple of more starts like yesterdays and I might be.

TheYanks04 wrote:Yeah well if you saw him pitch the last few times, you would be wondering what took this guy so long to figure it out. This is not some stiff (Leiter) that has somehow managed to get lucky and pitch a couple of good games with mediocre or crummy stuff. His stuff looks real good and his changeup has been very good.

How long can he continue to pitch like this I have no idea. I would not recommend picking him up in fantasy leagues. But watching the guy throw the ball shows this is no accident imo (knock wood). He would not be the first pitcher that figured it out later rather than sooner. As Jim Kaat noted yesterday during the YES broadcast, he has picked up a changeup/improved on that pitch and it seems to be making a world of difference. He throws it with the middle finger behind the ball and sort of flicks it. Different from the usual palm or circle-change. We shall see but I would keep an eye on the guy. At some point, if he keeps this up you have to consider it no accident and likely to continue for the rest of the year. I am not there yet, but a couple of more starts like yesterdays and I might be.

Thanks for the insight via Kaat, that guy knows his stuff. Making it all the worse that Small will probably be out of the rotation soon. Although it might mean he becomes an effective long reliever, which would help the pen out tremendously.

What Torre sees in Leiter is beyond me. I really do not understand it as the man who basically did little wrong from 96 through late 03 has since 03 been making one idiotic move after another. Leiter? What in Leiter's 100 pitch count in 4 IPs is worthy? What would make you put arguably the best SP you have had for the past 3 -4 weeks in the pen in favor of Nuclear Al? I do not get it. I do not understand why the Media is not giving him a hard time about it. I do not undertand why George is not on his case about it.

Hopefully he is just BS'ing to try to get Leiter to produce, but if he actually pulls Small in favor of Leiter and wants to see Leiter AND Wright in the same rotation, the guys from Bellview with the white jackets should stop by Torre's office.

TheYanks04 wrote:What Torre sees in Leiter is beyond me. I really do not understand it as the man who basically did little wrong from 96 through late 03 has since 03 been making one idiotic move after another. Leiter? What in Leiter's 100 pitch count in 4 IPs is worthy? What would make you put arguably the best SP you have had for the past 3 -4 weeks in the pen in favor of Nuclear Al? I do not get it. I do not understand why the Media is not giving him a hard time about it. I do not undertand why George is not on his case about it.

Hopefully he is just BS'ing to try to get Leiter to produce, but if he actually pulls Small in favor of Leiter and wants to see Leiter AND Wright in the same rotation, the guys from Bellview with the white jackets should stop by Torre's office.